Wednesday

Nov 14, 2018 at 10:54 AMNov 14, 2018 at 10:54 AM

Sarah Silverman has always been at her best when standing at a microphone, onstage, sharing her sweet-sounding but razor-edged thoughts on topics such as sex and death and politics and Judaism (it’s OK, she’s Jewish). She’s usually right on-target, making audiences a bit uncomfortable, but getting them to laugh, anyway. Part of her success is owed to her delivery, often saying downright nasty things — she can tell a vulgar joke with the best of them — in a cutesy, little girlish voice.

But she’s proven to be equally adept at shifting gears, at keeping the same sort of vocal quality, while completely changing what she’s saying. That happened, to the surprise of even her most loyal fans, when she took on the voice of excitable and extremely independent little Vanellope von Schweetz, the racecar-driving, glitch-plagued best friend of Ralph (John C. Reilly), both of whom are characters in video games in the 2012 animated hit “Wreck-It Ralph.” Though Vanellope had considerably less screen time than her big lug of a pal in that film, in the sequel, “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” she’s given a much larger role, she finds herself in even more peril — her game “Sugar Rush” might cease to exist — and she’s pretty much the center of the story. Silverman, 47, spoke about the film, as well as how she related to it personally, in Los Angeles.

Q: The film is all about these characters who get caught up in the internet. What’s your own relationship with the internet like?A: We’ve all had to learn how to navigate and how to protect ourselves on the internet. And what we can handle. And what we can allot ourselves. It’s like anything. There can be way too much of it. It’s nice as a treat, but there are bells that can’t be unrung that probably happen a couple of times a week or a day or in the middle of the night. But I think there’s a lot of good in the internet. It’s brought the world a lot closer. It’s made it a lot smaller. And then of course there are terrible things about it. A lot of outside misinformation. This new world of chaos and a lack of knowing what is true I would attribute to the internet. But also learning truths about other people that I would have never known, or like waking up to my own white privilege had a lot to do with the internet. It’s a very complicated relationship that we all have with the internet. And we have to try to find a healthy balance.

Q: I’m not sure if this is related to that, but some of the characters in the film are dealing with personal insecurities. Is there anything that you’re insecure about?A: You know, it moves around. Like grappling with being the age I am. I’ve never been this age. It’s the oldest I’ve ever been. But then I tell myself, it’s the youngest I’ll ever be. And then there’s how I’m supposed to be. But I think, well, however I am. I have conversations with myself. I’ll see the cellulite on my thighs. I go ugh. And then I think, “But I’m strong and my body works. And I love these thighs. These thighs help me stand and walk and move.”

Q: This is a Disney movie, and there’s a point in it where Vanellope meets up with a bunch of former animated Disney princesses, where you actually become a princess. What’s your take on that experience?A: What makes the idea of a Disney princess good is that Disney has taken on progress and inclusivity and has grown and changed in positive ways. This movie faces all of that head on. Leans right into it. (In other movies) the princess is in great distress, your life is threatened, and you get saved by a man. To have all of that in one movie and then shatter it is so exciting. It’s a thrill! And to get to get to play this kid who becomes like a princess with an attainable waist line, and wearing comfortable clothes ... OK, this is going in a different direction but, being a comic, we often end up in diners late at night after shows. And who also ends up at diners late at night are young girls, young people coming out of the dance clubs. I would see young women in half shirts and sky-high heels. They’re freezing cold, and their feet hurt. I just wish I could tell them that they don’t have to be uncomfortable to deserve love. I would be in my hoodie and jeans and just think, “These girls think that they can’t get love without this insane amount of physical discomfort.” And I love that Vanellope kind of sheds light on these grown-up princesses that are uncomfortable hanging out.

Q: One goofy question, if you don’t mind. Is Vanellope Jewish?A: Someone was talking about that on Twitter months and months ago. So, I said, “Yeah, she’s Jewish.” I just made her Jewish. Von Schweetz. I don’t know. Is that Jewish?

“Ralph Breaks the Internet” opens on Nov. 21.— Ed Symkus writes about movies for More Content Now. He can be reached at esymkus@rcn.com.

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